Fabric treating solvent recovery means



1941- c. w. BRUENGER FABRIC TREATING SOLVENT RECOVERY MEANS Filed March 29, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 .Jwuewior 7 Car/ M 572162767;

flzzornqys No). 18, 1941. c. w. BRUENGER FABRIC TREATING SOLVENT RECOVERY MEANS Filed March 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M QW My name .6 Z n w W i I a m. A C

Nov. 18, 1941. c. w. BRUENGER FABRIC TREATING SOLVENT RECOVERY MEANS v Fild March 29, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet s Ira/e712 07' Car/ h/ 5711673 47;

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 memo TREATING soLvEN'r RECOVERY MEANS Carl W. Bruenger, Indianapolis, Ind.', asslgnor to Spickelmier Fuel and Supply Company, In-

dianapolis, Ind., a copartn ershlp comprised of Ernest Spickelmier, Carl V. Spickelmier, and

Fred J. Spickelmier Application March 29, 1939, Serial No. 264,871

1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for treating various materials such as fabric, for example, to waterproof the fabric by running it through a liquid material, and the invention is primarily concerned with the recovery of the volatile vehicle employed in the treating operation. The invention permits the passing through a machine of a length of fabric to initially carry the fabric through the treating solution or fluid; remove the excess fluid in fluid form; and then drive off and recover that part of the fluid by volatilization and subsequent condensation; all in a continuous rapid operation without permitting the escape of the volatile constituent into the atmosphere and without having to employ pressure chambers during the volatilizing step.

A primary advantage of the invention resides in the fact that in a single compact machine the foregoing steps may be carried out with an exceedingly high efliciency of recovery of the solvent or vehicle employed in the treating fluid. This practically complete recovery permits operation at a relatively low cost since the recovered material may be re-used. Furthermore there is the added advantage that none of the material which volatilizes is" allowed to escape into the atmosphere and consequently the workers are protected from the effects of the fumes of such materials as would otherwise normally be present.

While fabric has above been mentioned as the material being operated upon, the invention is not limited to the treating and handling of such a specific class of goods'and it is within the scope of the invention to employ it upon any conceivable class of materials being treated in any manner by some fluid mixture which carries'a solvent or vehicle that is required to be removed to complete the process, whatever it may be, waterproofing being one particular process.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention including the new relationship and association of the various elements as specifically pointed out in the appended claim, will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a front, right-hand view in perspective of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, a rear, left-hand view in perspective of the machine;

Fig. 3, a top plan view; and I Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

A main recovery chamber I0 is carried by the supporting legs H, herein shown as four in number. The chamber ID, in the form herein shown, is a rectangularly box-like chamber having enclosing side and end walls, and floor I2, made out of any suitable metal that is substantially not affected by the chemicals employed in the process. 'The floor I2 is formed preferably to slope to a drain outlet controlled by a valve I3, Fig. 4. 0n the back wall of the chamber l0 and externally thereof is mounted an immersing tank It.

This tank H is provided with a, semi-cylindrical bottom. A cylindrical drum I5 is mounted upon a suitable axle IE to extend longitudinally across the tank II in relatively close proximity to the floor thereof. The drum wall is perforated to allow free passage of fluid inwardly and outwardly. The drum IS, in the form shown, is

free to revolve but is not driven positively.

Near the upper end of the rear wall of the tank I4 is provided a longitudinal slot I! through which the sheet of material 18 may be entered. Within the tank l4 adjacent this slot I! is an idler roller l9 preferably mounted to have its top side at an elevation to permit the'material l8 to come freely through the slot l1 and continue in a horizontal plane in contact with and over the roller l9 and thence downwardly around the under side of the drum l5. Toward the forward side of the tank l4. and above the drum [5 are mounted a pair of wringer rollers 20 and 2|.

; One of these rollers, the lower roller 2| in the present case, has an axle extending through the right-hand end wall of the tank M to carry a sprocket 22 (see Fig. l) externally of the tank as a means of driving the roller. The material 3 (Fig. 4) is carried upwardly on the forward .-side of the drum l5 and around the rear side of the lower roller 2| and thence substantially horizontally between the rollers 20 and 2|. The rollers 20 and 2l' are relatively adjustable one toward the other in order to regulate the degree of pressure that may be exerted upon the material l8 passing therebetween. As indicated in Fig. 2, the lower roller shaft 23 is carried in a bearing 24 adjustably positioned vertically by means of a set screw 25, Fig. 2; A spring 26 rests between the bearing 24 and the bearing 21 of the shaft 28 which carries the upper roller 20. A top set screw 29 may be adjusted to carry the roller 20 downwardly toward the roller 2| in opposition to the separate spring 26. The surfaces of the rollers 20 and 2| may be suitably covered by a suitable level. Since the floor of the tank |4 follows closely the contour of and is in close proximity to the drum I5, a minimum quantity of fluid is required.

The forward wall of the tank I4 is provided with a horizontally disposed longitudinal slot 32 which opens into the chamber l and is located at that elevation which will permit the material I8 to travel through the slot 32 from between the rollers 20, 2| to a roller 33 within the chamber without appreciable friction against either the upper or lower edges of this slot 32. However, both the slots I1 and 32 are kept as narrow as possible in order to prevent escape of vapors but at the same time without setting up any appreciable drag upon the material 8 as it passes therethrough.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the roller 33 is located in the upper central portion of the chamber Ill and is carried horizontally and longitudinally thereacross to have end bearings externally mounted on the end walls of the chamber III. The material I8 is carried across under the roller 33 up and over it and back toward the rear'wall of the chamber Ill under a roller 34 located adjacent the rear wall of the chamber In and extending longitudinally therealong and through the end walls of the chamber to have bearings externally mounted on those walls.

The material I8 is taken off from the top side of the roller 34 and carried across substantially horizontally to the upper side of the forward upper roller 35 which is mounted adjacent the front wall of the chamber III. The material I8 is carried down on the forward side of the roller 34 and around under that roller and thence rearwardly and downwardly to wrap around under the roller 36 mounted adjacent to the roller 33 in parallel alignment therewith, and from the under side of this roller 36 the material is carried forwardly through a longitudinal slot 31 in the front wall of the chamber l0 to be carried to any suitable receiving station such as a re-wind roller (not shown).

All of the four rollers 33, 34, 35 and 36 are hollow to receive steam from a supply pipe 38 having manifold connections with externally projecting ends of the various rollers, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Suitable backing nuts 39 are provided on the manifold connections with the various rollers in order to prevent leakage of steam. Circulation is maintained through these rollers by providing a discharge manifold 40, Fig. 3, having individual connections with the opposite ends of the respective rollers externally of the chamber l6 so that live steam and the condensate may be discharged. It'is to be noted that all four of these rollers are carried in the extreme upper portion of the chamber ID removed as far as possible from the floor l2.

The chamber H1 is provided with a cover 4| in the nature of a dome having a substantially semi-circular cross section. This cover 4| is secured in place over the chamber II) by any suitable means such as the hinge clamps 42 which are hinged to the chamber walls and chamber walls and the cover 4| to have thumb screws 43 adjustably carried to pull the flanges one toward the other and compressively engage therebetween a sealing gasket 44. The essential feature of the sealing joint between the upper end of the chamber Ill and the cover 4| is to prevent escape of vapors rather than form a high pressure seal, since the internal pressure is substantially equal to the external pressure. It is in the upper portion of the chamber l6 that the vapors are collected as will be later explained.

Referring to Fig. 1, a driving motor 45 is locatable in any suitable position, such as on a table 46 carried between the legs II. This motor 45 is connected through any suitable driving means,

- such as the belt 41, to a variable speed mechavariable speed drive 43 is a driving connection such as the belt 49, Fig. 2, to a pulley 50 which in turn operates a gear reduction within the housing 5| having the flnal drive sprocket 52.

A drive chain 53 passes around the sprocket 52, sprocket 22 on the wringer roller 2|, then under and around the sprocket 54 on the roller 33, back, up and around the sprocket 55 on the roller 34, forwardly across and around the forward side of the sprocket 56 on the roller 35, thence rearwardly and down around the sprocket 51 on the roller 36, and back down to the sprocket 52. Thus it is to be seen that the rollers are each individually driven by the chain 53 in the direction which will carry the material I8 through the machine as above described to have the material flnally emerge through the forward slot 31.

Cooling coils 58 are mounted within the chamber l0 adjacent the forward and rear walls at least and have external feeding pipes 59 and 60, Fig. 2, with external discharging pipes 6| and 62, Fig.- 1. Any suitable cooling medium may thus be passed through the external cooling coils 53.

In operating the machine, the material I3 is taken from any suitable source, such as a bolt mounted upon a carrying shaft (not shown) and the material I8 is threaded through the slot ll of the tank I4 and thence around as above described to be withdrawn through the slot 31 to any suitable re-winding device. The machine is set in operation by energizing the motor 45,

such as through the control box 63, Fig. 2. The material I8 is thus fed through the machine. First, to be immersed in the fluid 3| and then to have that fluid squeezed out between the wringer rollers 20 and 2|, all within the tank l4. There still remains in the usual procedure a measurable quantity of the carrying vehicle of the fluid 3| such as, for example, carbon tetrachloride. As the material I8 is carried around the heated rollers 33, 34, 35 and 36, the material is progressively heated and carried free of rollers to promote volatilization of the vehicle. The term vehicle is employed to include a solvent in the usual sens'e. By the time the material has passed under the roller 36, to all intents and purposes all of this vehicle has evaporated. Since the usual vehicle in a vapor state is heavier than air, it will tendto drop under the influence of gravity. This is the reason the heating rollers are carried in the extreme upper part of the chamber It so that the vapors may drop downwardly as they are liberated into the lower cooler part of the chamber where the coils 58 reduce the temperature to permit the vapors to condense back into the fluid state and be collected on the floor l2 and recovered by drainage through the valve .I3. Since condensation takes place within the same chamber as does vaporization, pressures are equalized with the result that the resultant pressure in the chamber [0 does not exceed nor is below that of the atmosphere outside of the chamber. This means that there is no tendency for vapors to escape from the machine into the atmosphere nor is there any tendency for any in-rush of atmospheric gases.

Thus it is to be seen that a very compact and efficient device is presented by the inventionfor the purposes indicated and while the invention has been described herein in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may be imposed by the following claim.

I claim:

In a machine for fabric fluid treatment and recovery of a solvent with which the fabric is impregnated, the vapors of which are heavier than air, a tank having a plurality of hollow rotating rollers at the top of the tank over which the fabric travels, means to supply steam internally of the rollers whereby the solvent is vaporized by heat from the steam in the rollers and the vapors thus' formed fall toward the bottom of the tank by gravity, and refrigerating coils in the lower part of the tank with which the vapors contact and are condensed by the refrigerating action of the coils, the tank having inlet and outlet fabric passage slots in approximately the same plane on two opposite sidesof the tank, and said rollers being in pairs in a plurality of horizontal planes, the rollers of the lower pair being close together with their peripheries substantially tangent to the plane of the slots and the rollers of the upper pair being further separated and said tank being substantially closed to prevent ingress of air. CARL W. BRUENGER. 

